How to SNHU: Pokémon GO

The craze has died long ago, but the phenomenon that is Pokémon GO is still alive and thriving on the SNHU campus. As the former Robert Frost Hall gym leader, I’ve played more than a fair share on campus and know the best spawn points, the best routes to collect items and the most contested gyms throughout the SNHU community.

One of the primary focuses of the app is to catch Pokémon in the wild. While common spawns are all over the place, it’s good to know rare spawn locations. The best place for great spawns on campus is the Athletic Complex at both entrances. I’ve seen spawns such as Hitmonchan, Lickitung, Slowbro and Scyther over there as well as some of the starters. Both of the Dining Center’s PokéStops have okay spawns, too. Most of the time, there are a lot of common Pokémon here, but occasionally, you will run into a Mareep, a Dratini or even a Lapras.

Off campus, there are two parks nearby: Stark Park and Livingston Park. Both of these locations are nests (biweekly changing clusters of one species), so rare spawns come and go in these locations. Keep tabs on the Silph Road (an online everything Pokémon GO website), specifically their Nest Atlas as it will keep tabs on what those nest locations are.

Staying stocked up on items is also important during the game. You will create your own route of PokéStops from your living space, but collecting items when a buddy is driving around campus is a fast way to restock. The best route to do this is when you are coming in from Victory Road, take a left and hit up the first stop at the bus stop. Grab the stop in the gym at the Operations Sculpture and cross the street to go down by the Athletic Complex. Then, get New Castle Hall’s stop followed by the two next to Larkin Field. Turn around, and drive behind Washington Hall and over to the New Hampshire College stop. Pick up Hospitalities stop and the statue across the street. Take a right to get the XO statue stop at the Dining Center and try to grab the Hands gym. By the time you get here, it’ll probably be another minute before you can collect items from the stops again.

Gyms are the last matter of business on campus. They’ve added two new gyms since my time as the Robert Frost gym leader, but I can tell you the trends and what will be the most active.

Robert Frost, being the center of campus and the main hub for classes, is the most active gym. Try holding it for as long as you can, but I guarantee it will be taken down within a few hours. Belknap Hall is less active than Robert Frost, but with the Hands and Athletic Complex Stops now being gyms, traffic will increase in these areas.

The two gyms that receive the least traffic are Conway Hall and the Operations Sculpture. I can guarantee Conway Hall will be just as slow as it was last year with the Operations Sculpture probably increasing slightly with traffic due to the ease of the new gym system. However, if you live in Conway Hall with a buddy the opposite team of you, it will be an easy way for you two to farm PokéCoins off of each other as barely anyone visits this gym.

I wish I could continue adventuring on campus with fellow trainers, but I pass the title off to the next class of trainers. Get out there, SNHU, and Pokémon GO!